MYESSENTIALS: Kansas

Oct.252011

Ink

Somebody just turned 150!

The state of Kansas, that rectangular bastion of Americana so commonly associated with agriculture, conservatism and insufferable college basketball fans just celebrated its first century and a half of existence, and to mark this momentous occasion, Ink caught up with Kansas to get a feel for how it’s doing as it chugs along.

The last century and a half, certainly, has been filled with excitement. Kansas has served as the setting for abolitionist John Brown’s rise to prominence and the Brown v. Board of Education decision, as well as home to some of the country’s more prominent figures — from Amelia Earhart to Dwight D. Eisenhower — and has developed a reputation for an utterly unpredictable climate.

In short, the Sunflower State has done its best to leave its mark on the world.

So, as it kicks off what figures to be another action-packed 150 years, we get up close and personal with America’s 34th state.